The Brockville “Van” or Caboose

Built 1954 - Donated, restored and placed here, 1987

By Kevin Craft, August 4, 2015

1. The Brockville "Van" or Caboose Marker

Inscription. This steel caboose was built in 1954 for the Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.) at their Angus Shops in Montréal. It served the Eastern Division of the railway for many years.Cabooses, or "vans" to trainmen, were usually used at the end of freight trains. The Brockville caboose (serial no. 437464) probably began his life as an "assigned" caboose, but later functioned as a "pooled" or "run-through" caboose. Early cabooses were "assigned" to only one conductor. A "pooled" caboose remained hooked up to a train over an extended route, while the crew, consisting of at least one conductor and one brakeman, would change periodically.In 1987, the city of Brockville expressed an interest in obtaining a retired caboose for this site and the CPR generously donated the car. Originally destined for the Winnipeg salvaging yards, the caboose has been restored to the 1950s era, to commemorate Brockville's railway history and its many railway workers.

Location. 44° 35.384′ N, 75° 40.89′ W. Marker is in Brockville, Ontario, in Leeds & Grenville Counties. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Water Street East and Ferry Street. Touch for map.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. This page originally submitted on August 31, 2015, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec. This page has been viewed 221 times since then and 3 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on August 31, 2015, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec.